Recruiting myths about the quiet period

Posted on August 18, 2022 by eliteathletesrecruiting

Recruiting becomes hot as August begins, just as summer begins to cool down. However, before it starts to boil, there is a brief pause in recruiting. That pause is known as the Quiet Period.

There are many myths and misconceptions about the Quiet Period, so this article will clear up five of them.

Myth #1: That quiet period means absolute silence. Most parents and athletes think that this mean coaches can’t talk to prospective student athletes. True, NCAA communication rules are restricted during the quiet period. But in the end, colleges coaches are permitted to communicate with prospective student athletes during the quiet period.

Myth #2: Athletes can’t contact coaches. Not true. According to the NCAA recruiting guidelines, prospective student athletes can contact college coaches beginning on the first day of freshman year. Additionally, student-athletes are permitted to contact coaches at any time during the recruiting process.

Myth #3: College Coaches don’t recruit during the quiet period. False, coaches recruit year round. Just look at all the offers posted on social media! So, since college coaches continue to recruit during the quiet period athletes need both communication and recruiting exposure year around

Myth #4: On campus invites during the Quiet Period are money grabs. Not necessarily. Some invites are in fact money grabs so it’s up to the athlete and parents to learn the difference. The NCAA rules state contact with prospective student athletes is permissible on the college campus. So, how else can coaches get athletes on campus but to invite them to a prospect camp?

Myth #5: College coaches can’t make offers during the quiet period. Again, the quiet period does not mean dead silence. Instead, the quiet period regulates communication between college coaches and prospective student athletes. During the quiet period coaches can and do make scholarship offers.

The origin of these myths and misconceptions is from athletes and parents being unfamiliar with the recruiting process. Information is pieced together from bits and pieces heard from other players and parents. It’s similar to trying to put together a jumbled puzzle, but missing several key pieces. It doesn’t matter how much effort you put in, the end result will be an incomplete picture. Don’t rely on rumors and hearsay from other parents. Become educated about the recruiting process or find someone who is.

what student athletes can do to improve their recruiting situation during the quiet period

Posted on August 4, 2022 by eliteathletesrecruiting

What is the quiet period? What does it mean for recruiting?

According to the NCAA, during a quiet period a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high schools. Coaches may write and telephone student-athletes or their parents during a dead period.

So, with prospective student athletes, college coaches are not permitted to have; in person evaluations, official campus visits or in person contacts. But, student athletes should be aware that written and telephone communication is permissible during the quiet period.

However, like any other Quiet Period throughout the recruiting calendar, the recruiting process does not stop. Consider the quiet period a time-out from the evaluation process.

So, student-athletes, what can you do to improve your recruiting situation right now?

First, get your highlight reel looking sharp. By now you should have a highlights from summer camps, showcases as well as previous seasons, plus some training video. Use this footage to make short highlight and skills videos that can be added to your recruiting profile and viewed by college coaches.

Next, assess recruiting goals with realistic expectations. If you’ve had your mind set on certain school but have not been contacted by a college coach don’t expect contact anytime soon. Instead, do an honest comparison of your level of play to the quality of athletes being recruited. This will help you determine a good college fit and will also point you to college coaches that you should be contacting.

Then, expand your methods of contacting college coaches. Don’t just rely on twitter to blast out your video links or show clips of getting one hit during a game. Instead, use multiple points of contact including email, text, and, if you’re brave enough, go old school, by actually making a phone call to a college coach.

Overall, during the quiet period it is important for the student-athlete to stay focused! The quiet period does not mean that recruiting comes to a dead stop. Lots of recruiting is still to come.

Is recruiting is going the way you hoped it would? Have questions about the recruiting process? Comment below or DM me. I’m glad to help.

Even though NCAA waives ACT / SAT requirement for 2021 student-athletes: still a good idea to take it.

Posted on August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 by eliteathletesrecruiting

Last week the NCAA announced waivers requiring ACT or SAT test scores for athletic eligibility. While many student athletes celebrated a sigh of relief, despite the generous exception its time to start studying because it is still a good idea for student-athletes take the ACT or SAT.

To quickly review the recently exemption, last week the NCAA decided Division I or II athletes will not be required to take a standardized test to meet NCAA initial-eligibility requirements. This decision said is to “help ensure students have a fair opportunity to meet the initial-eligibility standard.” Why was this decision made?

Student athletes, stay the course, continue moving forward with the plan to take the ACT or SAT college entry exam. Photo by Ben Mullins on Unsplash

Again, the NCAA is concerned about “the continued disruption in secondary education due to the pandemic”. So, to meet eligibly requirements for athletic participation as well as to meet the criteria for academically eligibility for receive athletics scholarship, practice and completion in their first year the NCAA has made some concessions. Admission requirements are pretty low, 2.3 grade point average for Division 1 and 2.2 grade point average for Division II provided the NCAA approved 16 core courses are completed. But, lowering the standard and exempting student athletes from the standardized tests requirement leaves a few questions unanswered.

In total, omitting the ACT or SAT requirement does not specifically address university admissions requirements. Nor, does the exemption address how financial awards will be provided that usually are distributed as a result of high ACT or SAT scores?

So, put down the party hat and grab a chair. Its time to start studying because what isn’t addressed by the exemption is exactly why student-athletes should move forward with the plan to take the ACT or SAT.

First, to get into a college the university admission requirements must be met to get into that college. Undoubtably, student-athletes with a qualifiable ACT or SAT score are sure to have better opportunities for entry. Conversely, student athletes without standardized test scores are more likely not to meet the requirements for colleges known for higher academic standards Lets be realistic, schools know for selecting students with higher academics standards will continue to maintain this standards. Furthermore, student-athletes may be put at a disadvantage to gain entry into colleges known for higher academic standards. Consequently, student athletes aspiring to attend such schools will be expected to meet admission requirements or look elsewhere.

Next, it is no secret that a college education is expensive. So, even without ACT or SAT scores, college tuition will still need to be paid. What the NCAA generous waiver does not explain how to fill the financial void that is usually filled by financial awards provided by high standardized test scores? Keep in mind, outside of D1 football, which is a full athletic and academic scholarship sport, schools in DIAA, DII, NAIA and DIII typically stack athletic scholarship with academic awards towards the cost of tuition. Somebody will have to pay and I don’t see colleges reducing the price of admission any time soon.

The question remains, in the coming months, will athletes be presented other opportunities be made available to fill this void and to gain financial awards? Or will the burden be placed on solely on the athlete and their family? Without the funding provided by the SAT or ACT score how can student-athletes earn the extra financial awards that decrease tuition costs?

Bottom line for student athletes, stay the course, continue moving forward with the plan to take the ACT or SAT college entry exam.

Source: NCAA Eligibility Center announces flexibility in initial eligibility for 2021-22 Changes address uncertainty caused by COVID-19 August 17, 2020 11:00amMichelle Brutlag Hosick

No Last Minute Miracle Needed- 5 Tips for Athletes Manage College Recruiting

Posted on August 22, 2015 by eliteathletesrecruiting

Time Management

Most athletic competitions have time constraints. For example, soccer has two 45 minute halves, basketball four 8 minute quarters, even track and swimming measure placements by time. Baseball and softball limits games by a specified number of innings. Clearly, time management is vital to every game.

Usually the team that did the best job of managing the clock wins the game. Teams that don’t have to rely on a last minute miracle.

Last Minute Miracles

Truth is athletes only have one shot at getting recruited. No one can have a high school do-ver. So athletes in the midst should never rely on a last minute miracle to land a scholarship.

I’m not a miracle worker, but I know how to manage the recruiting clock. Partnering with me will assure success!

Think of it like this. Would you rather hurry and scurry around as the clock winds down hoping to score at the last second or would you prefer to know that victory is eminent and relish the moment of celebration?

5 Tips to Enjoy the Recruiting Process (and avoid hoping for a last minute miracle)

Follow these few tips to be certain that you’ve met your goals and victory belongs to you!

Have a solid recruiting plan. Start working the plan early and stay the course. This is where years of recruiting exposure will pay off.
Keep focused in the classroom and on the field. The classroom is not the place to let your performance slip.
Be familiar with the recruiting timeline. Depending on the sport, calls from college coaches for recruiting can begin in June, July and September.
Know communication rules Communicate with as many coaches as possible.
Take official visits to colleges recruiting you. Five official visits are permitted, use them wisely. Make sure you know the academic and athletic expectations for athletes at each school.

The clock is ticking. Time will eventually run out. When this happens I want to be sure your family is celebrating!

Be committed, get committed.

Coach Mike Woosley is a National Scouting Director at CSA-PrepStar. As a professional collegiate sports scout Mike works with qualified next level student-athletes to find the right college athletic and academic fit. Comments and questions are always welcome.

Six Details to Include in a Short Email to College Coaches

Posted on August 5, 2015August 5, 2015 by eliteathletesrecruiting

Athletes that get recruited know that at some point it is necessary to email a college coach. This brief communication is crucial to your recruiting because needs to be short but detailed enough to give the coach enough information to put you on the recruiting radar. So, if writing isn’t your strong-suit or your unsure of what to include this blog will help.

For serious recruitings drafting a recruiting email takes serious effort — For serious recruits drafting a recruiting email takes serious effort

The format I’m sharing with you is great for the initial email to college coaches. However, if a coach contacts you this email will work, but you need to add one extra detail. That detail is to ALWAYS thank the coach for contacting you. Do this in the introduction of the email. Also its a good idea to include how the coach contacted you. For example, “Thank you for taking the time to contact me… write me…..email me..send me a postcard…”

Now, on to the 6 important details. Here’s what should be included.

1. Introduce yourself

Name, City, State,

2. Give them some specifics about you

graduation year, sport, position, academic interest
I attended the [camp/combine] on [date]

3. Tell them something about their program and/or college (some brief research will help )

Ex. “Your school has both a great [sport] team but also a top-notch [subject] program”

4. Request information about the college’s athletic and academic programs be sent to your home

Ex. “I would like to know more about your athletic program and the academic programs offered at [name of the school]”

5. Include address and phone number in your signature.

Name, address, phone

6. Help them connect with you on social media

hyperlink your Twitter handle or Facebook profile info at the bottom of your signature.

Again, remember to keep this email short. Its not necessary to be long winded. Truthfully, no more than two paragraphs is necessary.

One other tip. As your recruiting gets more serious a longer email will be necessary. I’ll show you what to include for that email in another blog.

Good luck,

Reputation Ruined by a Press of a Button

Posted on July 22, 2015July 22, 2015 by eliteathletesrecruiting

This week’s tip about social media is very important. So, here’s the tip: coaches pay attention to how athletes present themselves on social media.

Recently, All-Pro NFL superstar J.J. Watt lectured students on this very topic. Watts’ wisdom was this, “A reputation takes years and year and years to build, and one press of a button to ruin.” You can find the article here.

Here’s an example of the harm that can’t be undone. Recently, I spoke with an athlete that was kicked off his team because someone in a picture with him was holding an illegal drug. One stupid mistake has sidelined this stellar senior athlete and jeopardized his future. Please, don’t let this happen to you.

Make wise choices to avoid costly decisions.

Social media is a tremendous way to interact with people all over the world and express ourselves in any way we choose. But with great opportunity comes great responsibility. Here are some important things to keep in mind before you send your message into the great global conversation.

Anyone, anywhere can see your post
Your post speaks for your personality and character
Pictures can speak for the company you keep.
Posts are nearly impossible to erase once its out in cyber-space

To close, I’m not saying don’t use social media. I’m only suggesting that you use it to your advantage. Used properly social media really can make a difference with your recruiting. So before you press ‘send’ think about the consequences. If you have any reservations for what your about to send, by all means don’t send it!

Be smart with social media.

Coach Mike Woosley

How to make a positive impression during a recruiting interview

Posted on July 16, 2015December 7, 2016 by eliteathletesrecruiting

4 Things to Know for a Recruiting Interview

Set yourself apart by treating your recruiting visit like you would a job interview

In the coming months many 2017 student athletes will take official college visits to solidify the next steps of their recruiting. It is much like a job interview in many respects. Bosses have reviewed the resume, checked references and decided to scheduled the final interview. So treat your recruiting visit like you would a job interview.

College coaches can now contact 2017 recruits So if you’re not hearing from college coaches contact me immediately (mwoosley@csaprepstar.com) so I can help you get the recruiting exposure you need to get noticed!

Keep in mind that while your resume is your athletic and academic accomplishments, what’s really going to put you at the top of the list is how set yourself apart during the recruiting interview. So, here are four tips that you need to know to leave a positive impression during a recruiting interview.

Use proper English grammar. Coaches take their job seriously, so it makes sense that they also look to find serious players. Demonstrate that you are articulate and intelligent by using good grammar.
Dress for success. Leave the warm-ups at home. Dress nicely and wear a tie. Don’t worry about standing out. That’s what you are there for, after all!
Separate yourself from the pack. When everyone else is goofing off, keep in mind that the reason you are there is get noticed and get a scholarship!
Answer questions confidently. Rehearse your responses to questions that a coach may ask. Anticipate questions that revolve around your strengths, weaknesses, concept of team, individual goals, work ethic, and responsibility.

Remember, the objective of the recruiting interview is impress the coach so you move up the recruiting board and ultimately increase your chanced to get scholarships. Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to a successful recruiting interview.

Good luck on your upcoming interview!

Coach Mike Woosley

#1 recruiting mistake I see most often

Posted on July 8, 2015July 8, 2015 by eliteathletesrecruiting

As Scouting Director I get to see many of the country’s most talented athletes. As I evaluate, talk and meet with families across the nation and I’ve discovered that a larger number of them struggle with recruiting. I want to share what I’ve found to help you with your athlete’s recruiting.

Most often recruiting struggles have little to do with the athlete’s ability and more to do with timing. The number one recruiting mistake I see most often is related to starting the recruiting process too late.

Because college coaches cannot recruit a player that he/she does not know about you can avoid this mistake by starting the recruiting process early. An early start assures more control over the recruiting process and greater opportunities to be scouted and recruited by more coaches, as well as, saves your family time, money and worry.

However, neglecting to start early has severe consequences. The most common are

unnecessarily spending of precious time and money trying to make up for lost time,
loss of control over the recruiting process
no competitive advantage over the thousands of other athletes hoping to fill roster spots and get scholarships
athletes that are overlooked and not recruited like they should be

Partnering with PrepStar and myself can assure you the right amount of recruiting exposure and assistance you need to stay ahead of the recruiting game or catch up if you are behind.

I hope this tip is both helpful and useful for your athlete’s recruiting. I’ve included a few recruiting resources are included below to help you out.

~ Coach Mike

Simple interesting tips to get helpful recruiting attention

Posted on July 2, 2015July 2, 2015 by eliteathletesrecruiting

Getting attention is necessary for recruiting. The simple reason for this is because coaches can’t recruit players they don’t know about. Here’s a quick tip on how you can use what’s interesting about you to get attention that will help your recruiting.

There is a right way and a wrong way to grab attention.

Simple interesting notice gets attention

Almost immediately, with just a few words and a simple “ding” ESPN managed to get my attention, spike my curiosity and persuade me to watch the video. And, as any good natured sports fan would do, I picked up my phone to to check it out.

Truthfully, I’m not sure why I watched it. However, those few short sentences caused me to be interested enough to click the play button. I wasn’t thinking about Colin Cowherd, Jim Harbaugh or M*ch*gan football at the time. (Although, I grew up in Ohio and my allegiance has always been with the Buckeyes so maybe my loathing for that team up north might of had something to do with it.)

Being interesting gets attention

I learned a few things from this experience that I believe can help you with your recruiting. First, its important to be interesting enough to get attention. Second, its important to keep that attention. Third, once you get attention its important that you deliver the goods. Hype is good only if you can back it up.

Try it out, but ask a few questions first

Here’s a good tip. You’ll get the attention you want if what you give interesting information. So when your polishing your Prepstar profile, making a highlight video, sending an email or text, posting on social media or visiting a college campus consider this question ‘What’s interesting about me that makes coaches want to give me their attention?’

To wrap up, everyone has something about them that makes them interesting that makes them worthy of attention. Its a terrible trap to think that you don’t. Try making a list of interesting things about you, or ask a close friend to name some interesting things about you. Then, you’ll be well on your way to sharing interesting information about yourself to help you get the right kind of recruiting attention.

Find these tips helpful? Experience successful result using them? If so, let me know in the comment or message me on Twitter.

How social media can help your recruiting

Posted on June 26, 2015 by eliteathletesrecruiting

Social media can help with self-promotion

Social media can be a great tool for self promotion for your recruiting. I use it everyday to promote players, share ideas, tips and motivational coaches quotes. On several occasions college coaches have connected with me via social media to ask about my PrepStar athletes.

Social media can also help you connect with coaches, player and key people at prospective colleges. Here’s why.

Many college coaches use social media as another recruiting tool. For them, its a good way to find out what kind of person you are just by viewing your social media pages, posts and interactions.

Two Reasons to Use Social Media

So, if you don’t have a social media account I recommend that you get one soon. Here are two good reasons a why.

First, social media is a great way to start and keep a recruiting relationship going. But what about the email? Emails definitely have a place in recruiting. However, connecting with a coach via social media can open the door of opportunity to send the email to tell the coach more about you. Also, social media is a good way to stay in touch after you’ve gotten to know one another.

Second, NCAA guidelines are a bit vague on the contacting athletes through social media. Texts and emails on the other hand are more regulated and count as a recruiting contact. Use loophole to your advantage advantage.

Lets Review Some Basics

Now, if you want to use social media like Twitter and Facebook to your advantage let’s cover a few basics. Follow these tips and you’re sure to help you use social media to your advantage.

Connect with coaches follow teams to learn about program
Follow college players to collect information, get to know them and learn about the program.
Make your posts interesting. If you put a link, give your follower a reason to want to click the link and find out more about you.
Be wise with the content you post. Don’t post profanity, vulgar or offensive material. And if its on your page delete remove it now! You want to post content that presents you in a positive way.
Its not smart to post injuries, failures and absolutely no whining/complaining about a coach or teammates!
Are you crying? There’s no crying in baseball!

Okay, now that you’ve decided to use social media to your advantage use the social media search menu and started connecting. Also, if you haven’t already, make sure to connect with me on Twitter @michaelwoosley.

Next week, I’ll share some tips on how to get the most out of your social media communications.

Good luck!